Duke wild in loss; Doumit done

One game left in a long lost season.  The prediction contest is down to the simple now.  If the Pirates lose tomorrow Amarillo Fats wins with the exact record.  If the Pirates win jack Sparrow or Yotum wins.

'get this thing over with' gets my blood on BOIL.

if our crack correspondent notes that, I am disappointed. off with whomever's head[s].

sad to see juke-less duke bloat to >4 ERA for the season.

I hope bootcheck has some wood shop or accounting skills. it would be nice if jammer and vazquez could show up. looks like we are in the game despite it all if blastings could have key stroke.

ahh, the just ifs.

Moss has shown to be more adept as a pinch hitter this year than as an every day player.

He has been given plenty of opportunity and produced at a D- rate.  

He has been handled fine.  This is not

Little League.  He was given the starting opportunity and didn't hit.  He has had 400 AB to prove himself and it never came.  

If he is still around, maybe he will blossom next year with less pressure on him.  

Well, it was the penultimate game game but is only the penultimate loss if they lose tomorrow.  If they win tomorrow (there is game scheduled tomorrow, isn't there?) then was the ultimate loss.

Another Duke up one day and down the next.

He still has a problem with consistency as do all the Pirate pitchers except Ollie this year.

What is the logic in starting Vasquez over Bixler at this point of the season unless Bix is a goner ?  If he is a goner, what is he doing here in the first place ?

Based on the headline, are we to assume they will lose tomorrow?

Something about Daniel McCutchen that reminds me of David Cone.

JLP

Your assumption is correct,  sir.

Meanwhile, in games that matter--Twins win, Tigers lose--teams have same record with 1 game left.

Cave

What is the logic in starting Vasquez over Bixler at this point of the season unless Bix is a goner ?  If he is a goner, what is he doing here in the first place ?

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I don't think Bix is a goner, I think he is going to AAA next year and hopefully mature a little more.

As far him being here this year, he is below Cruz and Vasquez on the depth chart and probably near the bottom of the JR like chart, a little below Moss.

On Moss, I think to a degree he was handled right, however, I can see where other people are coming from, he did not get opportunities that Young and LaRoach got, they played no matter how bad they were playing.

Another thing about Moss, he probably was their best defensive right fielder.

leadoff

I'll certainly take Moss defensively over GJ.  

Jones makes me queasy when he is in right and nervous as heck when he is at first.  

He might be better served being packaged with DY in a special DH twofer trade to an American League team.  

If the Dodgers blow the division to the Rockies,  they will have to look back to that fateful ninth inning in Pittsburgh as the turning point.  They haven't been the same since that game.  

question for dejan, or if anyone else knows the answer.

it was metioned in an earlier article that some of the players packed their bags and were headed home right from cinci after tomorrow's game.  I was wondering if the pirates did post season phyisicals and post season interviews the day after the season ended like i believe other pro teams do.

thanks in advance.

Cave

Jones makes me queasy when he is in right and nervous as heck when he is at first.  

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Maby if we would have had Hill spend more time with Jones and left him at first instead of moving him around he might be a little better at 1st.  Hill was occupied working with the 2nd basemen, but Jones should have played one position this year. They were experimenting with Pierce and Young, that hurt Jones fielding IMO.

It would not have been a bad idea to give Jones a little more time off since he came up also, what did he get 1 game off since he came up?

I don't believe I would trade him, we have no real power without him.

If we are talking liabilities on defense...DY might as well super glue a frying pan on his hand.At one time I thought he was getting better,but he seems to digress.We need a 2B badly.There have been several times he could have been called for errors.We don't need a 2B with 20+ errors.

leadoff

You're right about him needing more work at first.  

I'm not sure if he will ever develop into anything more than a platoon playerwith the way he hits lefties.  

Hopefully next year he will improve in that regard.  I don't know if he had trouble with lefties during his long minor league career.  

hello folks.  back from another long trip early this morning.  starting another one tomorrow afternoon.  i feel like Dejan, only i don't write as well.

the get it over with feel pervades the asylum as well.  tomorrow.  then winter.

at least there's this; i live about an hour from Bradenton.  

see you in March at McKechnie Field.  barbeque at my place after the game.

Drew

Sounds like a plan.

Cave - bring your avatar puppy and your appetite.

Good night everyone.

On the other hand, if the Rockies lose the division to the Dodgers, we can look back to Tracey's miscalculated stunt of starting a AA pitcher against the Pirates.

Evening, everyone ... just home from the pizza wars. Lotta rain here but not exactly the business to match. No raking-of-the-tips tonight.

Cave, I can see the similarities in Dan McCutch and Cone ... I remember Cone pitching ... very energetic like Dan, and both really into "pounding the zone."

I like Dan's energy, enthusiasm and athleticism ... I'd take that next year over Hart's deliberate work ... puts me to sleep, and doesn't seem very effective ... yet.

Drew...I'm with Cave...that sounds like a plan!  

I'm gonna be at Lastings' place myself. :-)

Mazzy - we'll miss you, but more BBQ and beer for the rest of us

Drew-I'm kinda hoping Andrew will show too.It's like Applebys.Eatin good in the neighborhood.lol.Hanging with the Florida crew.

It looks like Ryan's frustrating season is over a couple of games early.    Darn it!  Good move by JR though...don't mess with any type of concussion.

Maz...you haven't had the pleasure of hanging out with Drew.  I just hope Mrs. Drew is aware of the crowd that may be descending on her home.  ;-)

Drew, you think of I sell enough of this latex you could spring for a ticket to fly me over to Bradenton for the party ... Maz, I'll be sure to drop by and see you and Lastings, too.

Milledge could almost walk to ST.Of course that wouldn't be cool. ;-)

Kershaw has struck out 10 through 5 innings in the Dodgers-Rockies game. Still 0-0 in the 5th.

Drew,

My and the Mrs (my mrs, not yours) will take you up on the offer of BBQ and Beers during spring training.  The very least we will meet you at McKechnie.

Why would Duke bring his A game vs the lowly Reds? His mind is where he will be in two weeks. Watching October Fest Baseball on TV or reading it in the newspaper.

Typical example of the Pirates and this season. Your top pitcher on the mound vs a lousy cincin team, his last game of the year, and he barely can get through the 3rd inning he is so excited to get out of dodge (IMO)....

Just an embarassing season in a long line of seasons. They showed playoff, world series highlights over the past 20 years. I did not recognize about 75% of them. Love the game, but just cannot watch if my Pirates are not in the playoffs. Being in last place most of those years does not help either. Nor does my lack of faith in the pirates Nuthouse group and his circus circus game going forward. Our biggest moment: We did not lose 100 games!

David